Twenty Kisses
by AngelMoon Girl
Summary: From the whimsical scheme of a kissing booth to the heartwrenching pain of losing a child, this series of drabbles and one shots will encompass it all. Instances of intimacy between Usagi and Mamoru in each incarnation, treading both canon and AU worlds.
1. Bunny Among Wolves

Disclaimer: Whaaa? You think *I* own Sailor Moon!? You must be ill in the head.

Summary: Drabbles of such fluff that even your dentist wouldn't approve, showcasing instances of intimacy between Usagi and Mamoru in all their incarnations. Some are canon-based and others AU.

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Bunny Among Wolves"  
Setting: First season  
Genre: AU

"Usagi, Tuxedo Kamen would never in his right mind want to kiss _you_!" Mamoru heard Hino Rei proclaim loudly from across the cafe, choking on coffee in his surprise. Keen ears pricking up, the college student was severely dismayed when Kino Makoto shushed her priestess friend into quiescence. Now unequivocally interested (_Odango Atama wants to kiss my alter-ego!? Now this I have to hear..._), Mamoru slipped away from the counter and Motoki's companionship. Aforementioned blonde hissed a warning his way, probably something to do with steering clear of his surrogate little sister, but Mamoru couldn't resist. The thought that Usagi would want to pucker up with him, even if it was in his superhero form, sent a strange batch of butterflies aflutter in Mamoru's midsection. He briefly wondered just what Tuxedo Kamen's draw was for Usagi, a mere civilian who knew next to nothing about his other identity, before coming up behind said fourteen-year-old.

"Of course he would. We're meant to be! My first kiss has to be reserved for someone special; for that one true love destiny has paired me with... and only Tuxedo Kamen fills that role!"

"Odango Atama, just what makes you think Tuxedo Kamen is your soulmate?" Mamoru sneered, seeming to appear out of thin air on Usagi's right. The teen yelped and blushed a fierce shade of red.

"You creep! Stop doing that!"

"What?"

"Popping out of nowhere! Listening in on our _private _conversations! _Existing_! Because the sole purpose of your life is surely to aggravate me..."

"Don't worry, the feeling is mutual," Mamoru quipped, rolling his eyes. "Now answer my question. I'm intrigued."

"Hmpf! It's none of your business, Chiba Mamoru!" Usagi huffed, turning up her nose at his sardonic countenance. Mamoru allowed himself a quiet but humorous smile at her expense, inwardly guffawing at the irony of her exclamation. _None of my business? Oh, Odango, if only you knew... _"And stop smirking at me! I know that look, and I don't like it."

"What look?" Mamoru frowned.

"_That _one! On your face, right now! The one that's mocking me for wanting to save my first kiss for Tuxedo Kamen! Well you don't know anything about me, Chiba Mamoru! I'm so much closer to fulfilling my dream than you are to getting a new jacket that's not sickly green!" Usagi shouted, standing up in her fanaticism and smacking the tabletop with her palms. She shoved her face forward until it was only inches from his own. Mamoru, stunned at Usagi's unexpected outburst, almost missed the sudden glares of warning from the other girls. However, so entranced was he by the elegant contours of Odango's angry visage that the man barely stopped to ponder their reaction. Nor had it escaped his notice that Usagi's lips- the subject of their current debate- were teasing him mercilessly by their propinquity. It would only take one stumble to connect his with hers... one tiny, inconsequential slip-

"Usagi-chan," Mizuno Ami, always the logical one of the group, pleaded. She tugged on her friend's sleeve imploringly. "Sit down. The patrons are starting to stare."

Usagi ignored her. "You're always misjudging me, and I hate it! You probably think I'm not worthy of any man's kiss, too! But you know what? I'm going to prove. you. wrong!"

Mamoru wanted to protest at the direction their feud was taking, but he couldn't seem to stop gaping at Usagi's lips. Idiot. He tried not to sigh as Usagi pulled back, straightening up and calling to the cafe at large,

"TOMORROW AFTERNOON, I, TSUKINO USAGI, WILL BE HOLDING A KISSING BOOTH! GET A CHEAP THRILL FOR ONLY TEN YEN! Raven-haired jerks-" Here the blonde threw Mamoru a withering glare- "are not invited!"

"But Usagi, your dream-" Makoto started to argue.

"I don't care what I said earlier," Usagi snapped, blue eyes like fire in her fury. She bestowed an ugly look on Mamoru, shoving her petite body past him to march out the door. "Plenty of guys will want to kiss me, just you wait!"

Mamoru stared at her retreating back, mind reeling in shock. Was Usagi really going to hold a kissing booth? Over _him_? And... why did it matter so much whether she lost her first kiss to some random stranger off the street or not? Shaking his head of the boggling ruminations, Mamoru wandered out the door in the waspish Odango's wake, listening to the warble of her friends fade.

"No raven-haired jerks? Aw, shucks, I guess I'm not welcome either. And I was so eagerly anticipating a smooch with Usagi."

"Don't tease, Rei-chan! This all started because of your stupid remark."

"Hey, it's Usagi's life. If she wants to throw away her first kiss because of some false notion and regrets it later, then that's her fault for not listening to reason."

"Ugh, you are heartless, Rei-chan. Right... but heartless."

oOo

_He did not care_.

Usagi's odango shone gold under the hot afternoon sun as she set up her booth, scrawling "Kisses for Ten Yen" on a poster board. It was probably lucky her parents were not home- even though Mama might understand, Papa would have her head for this. _Selling your body for cash_, he would sigh with utmost disappointment. _Disgraceful_. But she had to show Mamoru she was desirable. _Had_ to.

_He did not care_.

Usagi tapped her foot impatiently, arms crossed as she waited for customers to arrive. Surely some depraved guy had overheard her announcement at Fruit Parlor Crown yesterday...

_He did not care_. Then again, why was he perched atop a tree outside Odango's house in full Tuxedo Kamen garb, braving all manner of birds and cricks to make sure Usagi's first kiss was not stolen by some pervert? He was only doing this to protect an innocent damsel. Really. It was in his job description!

A gaggle of acne-ridden teenage boys from down the street approached, wolf-whistling and pointing at Usagi's sign with a predatory, yet excited gleam in their eyes. Mamoru could see the bills in their hand even from this distance. Some strange and foreign creature gnawed at the pit of his stomach when Usagi smiled encouragingly their way. Was it jealousy? Hate? Anger? Or... something deeper; more primal?

_He did not care_. Nope, nope, nope. Not one iota. Not one smidgen. He. did. not. care. He was only here to ensure Usagi's well-being as she proceeded with this asinine kissing booth scheme.

The throng of males was now mere feet from Usagi.

"Hey, baby!" a particularly masculine one called appreciatively, flexing his broad arm muscles in an attempt to show off. "You look lonely over here, all by your little cute self!"

_He did not care._

"Wanna pucker up with me first?"

_He did not_... aw, hell, he did, didn't he? Mamoru leapt nimbly from the tree.

"No, _I _brought extra money! She wants to kiss _me _first!"

"She's taken," Mamoru said in a loud, rather frightening baritone from behind the blonde. Usagi gasped as the testosterone-ridden teenagers made a hasty retreat, murmuring amongst themselves.

"T-T-Tuxedo Kamen-sama?" she whispered in awe. "You... I... how...?"

"Word spreads fast around here. A little Bunny like yourself shouldn't hop willingly into a pack of wolves- it's dangerous," the superhero warned smoothly.

"I only wanted to prove my worth," Usagi, blushing profusely, admitted in a tiny voice. She averted her eyes, feigning great fascination with a blade of grass next to her foot.

"Through means of a kiss? There are so many other, and more telling, ways."

"I know. But sometimes I wonder if he's right," Usagi continued dejectedly, and Mamoru did not have to ask who she was referring to. "Sometimes I wonder if I... if I will ever see my... my dreams come true. Besides, I'm nobody special. Who would ever want to kiss me?"

Usagi started when soft, fabric-laden fingers caught her chin and tilted her countenance heavenward. Suddenly, a pair of gentle, warm lips captured her own. Breathless, she allowed the kiss to deepen as fireworks exploded in her mind. When Tuxedo Kamen finally released his light grip, Usagi dazedly floated back down to earth. Her chest was fluttering and hands trembling, but the fourteen-year-old steadied her gaze to smile graciously at her ebony-clad hero as he crooned,

"Perhaps someone who wishes to see dreams come true."

Usagi blinked in surprise, wondering if he knew the full implications of what had just occurred, but in that bat of an eye Tuxedo Kamen had disappeared.

A fresh rose lay at her feet.

* * *

A/N: Looks like I've done it again ^^ Dove full-force into another story without attempting to complete my other WIPs... I need to work on that problem. Stupid muse XD

Please review! Next drabble to come soon.

**AngelMoon Girl**


	2. Empty

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Empty"  
Setting: Future, pre-Crystal Tokyo  
Genre: Any

Mamoru grabbed at the door frame, wishing futilely that he could pull strength from its solidarity; perhaps find a way to ensconce it in his hollow, shattered heart. The woman before him watched his silent struggle with equal pain and frangibility in her violet eyes. She wrung her fingers desperately, wanting to provide consolation but unsure of the right words. The raven-haired priestess decided to settle with a heavy and heartfelt,

"I'm so sorry, Mamoru-san."

Mamoru just grunted, averting his gaze to stare forlornly at the closed alabaster door. His midnight depths were hazy and dull. "Did you contact the others?"

"They're on their way."

Uncomfortable, emotionally-charged quiescence reigned once more. It was not broken for a full minute until Mamoru whispered, "They say she's awake. I just... I can't believe this happened; one minute we're all having dinner, the next... God, it was so fast! And we were so _sure_... but then..."

"There's still hope," Rei countered fiercely, grabbing at her old friend's quivering hand. She squeezed tightly, pleading, "I know you're afraid to face her; to see the agony in her eyes, but Usagi _needs_ you. Her aura is pulsating with hurt beyond this wooden frame- she craves your comfort; your steady arms... she wants someone to tell her that it wasn't her fault, and that these things happen. Please, go to her. Share your sorrows together. You do nothing standing out here, trying to hide your tears as if they are a weakness."

Mamoru inhaled raggedly, squeezing Rei's hand back. He nodded. "You're right."

"Aren't I always?" Rei chuckled, supplying the man with a watery but sad smile. She let go of his appendage, turning away to choke out, "And tell Usagi she's welcome any time at the Shrine if she wants to talk. Sometimes girls just want to have heart-to-hearts in situations like these, y-you know?"

"I will," Mamoru whispered, before disappearing into his wife's hospital room. The sight he was greeted with wrenched the prince's heart terribly.

Usagi sat listlessly on her bed, cerulean eyes dim and unfocused. One hand stroked gently at her stomach, tender caress a knife that mocked memories of fruitless nights dreaming; dreaming about the future and a child who would never be. Her other kneaded the starched covers like an unconscious tick, gathering up the fabric tightly before letting it fall, limp, back to the mattress. Mamoru realized as he watched Usagi's fingers clench and unclench that the action disguised great distress- he could tell, after years spent in the blonde's presence, that Usagi's composure was only held by a tether. One little push was all it was going to take to send the girl tumbling over the edge. Apparently, the click of the door shutting was all Usagi's control could handle before her emotions rent loose.

"Mamo-chan," the petite Moon Princess sobbed, and with that one word Mamoru was instantly by her side, holding his wife close as she cried. Usagi latched onto his embrace like a starving child to food; a mewling infant to its mother. "Mamo-chan, they couldn't save him; h-he's gone..."

"I know," the ebony-haired man murmured, throat catching as he pet Usagi's golden locks back. "I know, love. But we still have hope. We'll have a beautiful daughter someday; we'll have the family we've been dreaming of for so long. We just have to be patient, alright?"

"Downy b-black hair, just like yours... and m-my eyes. H-he was so small; only seven months... so small..." the blonde murmured, clutching at her flat abdomen once more, as if the healing touch could bring her baby back to life. The Silver Crystal had always obeyed her every whim; every desire. It existed to protect, so why couldn't it protect when Usagi most needed it to? Why couldn't it have been spurred into action by love, when Usagi's love had been so strong; so bright? Her shimmering blue depths connected with Mamoru's darker hue as he laid a hand over hers. "I know we'll have a baby one day, but Mamo-chan, he was a part of me for so long... I _loved_ him, and now I just feel... I just feel so _empty_."

The tears began streaming once more down Usagi's cheeks, and Mamoru found he could hold his own at bay no longer. He too began sobbing, mourning for their lost child- _my__ son_- as the man laid anguished kisses against the soft stomach he'd only yesterday been whispering declarations of adulation and endless devotion to... A stomach once full with the exuberant and burgeoning seed of his and Usagi's union, now empty in the still wake of tragedy.

* * *

A/N: Bah, I feel so cruel ;_; Poor Usagi and Mamoru! But I've always wanted to write a drabble where they lose a child. Misconception and stillbirth are such horrendous experiences for a parent- especially a first time parent- to go through.

Thank you to last chapter's reviewers, which I forgot to post the first time around -.-; Your kindness and support means so much: **Crystalinchen, My Starry Sky, Angel no Yami, SailorMoon/Serenity28, beautifulmoonbunny, MoonGoddessMagic, CharmedSerenity3, sakanascales876, dancingprincess1093, SerentiyMoonGodness,** and **SailorMoonFanForever.**

Please review!

**AngelMoon Girl**


	3. Rapturous Intoxication

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Rapturous Intoxication"  
Setting: Post-Stars  
Genre: Any

Usagi shivered deliciously as Mamoru's hands roved over her bare skin, branding a fiery pattern with his caress.

She arched under his ministrations, throat releasing a husky moan almost of its own volition.

Mamoru responded in kind, spurred by her quiet noises of approval as he bent down to suckle and nip at her pleasure point.

Lost in the foreign sensations ravaging her system, Usagi grabbed at Mamoru's silky black locks and gasped, eyes rolling into the back of her head.

It was pure rapture; a drowning intoxication.

Mamoru's kisses were like brushes of fine feather against her burning skin, teasing mercilessly as her soul ripped free to soar mindlessly and elatedly heavenward.

A/N: Now that was a REAL drabble! Brief thank you to all the fantastic reviewers of mine**: Ummster, CharmedSerenity3, SelenityHyperion, My Starry Sky, dancingprincess1093, sailormoon0630, sakanascales876, Manoella Nascimento, SerentiyMoonGodness, mae-E, arinariena, Angel no Yami,** and **lapin d'argument. **Your support is what pulls me through all the rough patches of writer's block!


	4. Toasting Forever

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Toasting Forever"  
Setting: Crystal Tokyo  
Genre: Any

He pulled apart from their mind-blowing kiss just as fireworks began to resound in the sky, spurred by the last tolling of the midnight hour.

"Happy New Year, darling."

Neo-Queen Serenity opened her eyes to greet her husband Endymion's beaming visage, still revelling in the tingling sensation left on her lips. He smirked at the dazed expression on her face- a feat that seemed to proceed every kiss' wake- while reaching down to take a swig from his wine glass. Serenity's fingers shot out nimbly to stop his descent.

"Wait- I want to make one more toast."

"_Again_? Serenity, haven't we exhausted the list yet? We've already voiced our well-wishes for Usa's upcoming coronation, asked fate for a peaceful and fruitful marriage between her and Helios, hoped for a prosperous year for Crystal Tokyo-"

"Silly, we haven't even taken the time to toast to us and _our _future," Serenity chided playfully. Endymion cocked a rather sardonic brow and drawled,

"Our future? What, shall we raise a glass to senility? Wrinkles? Gray hair?" He pointed to a proliferate patch that seemed to be breeding monthly on Serenity's mane of gold. Aforementioned Queen chuckled, not daunted in the slightest.

"Oh Endymion. So cynical, even after all these years! I propose a toast... to forever." She extended her glass, waiting, as if precognizantly aware that her husband would follow suit.

"To forever, huh?" Endymion mulled, eying the dainty cup thoughtfully. He glanced down, swirling the dregs of his own wine. Then, the man resurfaced with a brilliant grin. "I rather like the sound of that."

He lifted the glass to meet Serenity's.

"To an eternity spent forever in your arms, come what may."

The wine glasses made a tinkling _clink!_ as they connected, then the pair of Royals drank deeply.

* * *

A/N: Well, here's the part where I worship my reviewers... know you're all looking forward to that ;D Thank you **SelenityHyperion, My Starry Sky, sakanascales876, Manoella Nascimento, CharmedSerenity3, Angel no Yami, mae-E, dancingprincess1093,** and **PriestessHelene.**

P.S. Yesterday I fell in love with and completed the "Sailor Moon Abridged Series" (SMA) on Youtube, by **Megami33**. If you have never seen it, you are severely missing out on something epic! I think I LMAO for a couple hours straight! So far, she's got all of season 1 posted, with lots of bloopers and extras too. For all who don't know, an Abridged Series is where someone chops up an episode and basically makes fun of it in good sport by redoing all the dialogue and sound effects. The new version of characters is hilarious, the VAs quite talented, and one-liners awesome! Hee hee I love their take on Raye (she always screams, is obsessed with Satan and wanting to burn people- some sort of twisted goth XD), Amy (it's a running joke that her power is useless and no one can ever hear what she says), Lita (transvestite), Mina (valley-girl totally obsessed with herself... you've never known ditzy until you meet her!), Queen Beryl (just... no words for this XD), and flagrantly gay Jadeite (voice and all :D). The transformation sequences rock too XD Serena's background music is "Barbie Girl", which totally cracks me up whenever she transforms. I love how **Megami33 **and her crew kept to the general plotline. You can tell they love the series! Seriously- CHECK IT OUT! You will die laughing!

**AngelMoon Girl**


	5. Every Step

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Every Step"  
Setting: Future, pre-Crystal Tokyo  
Genre: Any

He found her sobbing into the toilet bowl, arms wrapped around the porcelain so tightly it acted as a tether.

Without even bothering to dispose of the plate of eggs properly- he never liked that sink anyway- Mamoru collapsed onto his knees next to Usagi. One hand snaked out to wipe sweaty bangs from the blonde's forehead while the other caressed her back soothingly.

"Shh... shh... Usako, it's okay... Morning sickness again?"

"Yes," the woman uttered miserably, reflexively increasing her embrace with the pot as another bout of tears claimed her. Mamoru continued to administer soft massaging to the tremors wracking Usagi's frame.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked desperately, for Usagi had suffered this form of nausea before, and never with such an intense reaction.

"I'm scared, Mamo-chan," Usagi moaned, glancing blearily at him through a cavalcade of hiccups. "I can't be a mother; what was I thinking? God, everything I've ever taken care of has _died_... goldfish, hamsters... why is this any different?"

"You are _not _going to kill our baby, Usako," Mamoru told her sternly. "That's nonsense, and you know it."

"But what if something goes wrong? What if- what if I klutz out and... and _hurt_ it? What if I eat something bad or... or... There's just so many things that could go wrong, and I'm scared!" Renewed sobs ravaged the expectant blonde's throat. She hid her face against the cold alabaster, ashamed and fearful and weak.

Mamoru released Usagi and instead said forcefully, "Please look at me, Usako."

Usagi complied, slowly and shakily removing her wet countenance from the toilet to face her husband. A strange sight they were, two adults on the floor of a tiny bathroom, one sniffling and trembling while the other watched sympathetically.

When Mamoru was sure he had the odangoed one's full attention, and her weepy sapphire eyes were locked with his deep, insistent indigo, he smiled. His hand grabbed hers and squeezed. "You're going to be a fine parent; we both are. We've had practice with children before, and this will be no different, other than the fact that this baby is truly _ours_. Please don't worry anymore, Usako. Don't feel like you're alone. Even if you'll be the one carrying this baby for the next eight months, I'm going to do everything I can to help you both flourish. I'll be there every step of the way, Usako."

Usagi supplied Mamoru with a very watery beam. "Oh Mamo-chan!" she crooned happily, choking on emotion as she leaned in for a kiss. Her lips met skin and the woman opened her eyes, confused.

"Let's not be too hasty, love. First, I want you acquainted with mint toothpaste," Mamoru joked, removing his finger, and Usagi laughed as she swiped at her cheeks.

* * *

A/N: Hee hee! ^^ That was fun, and it only took me fifteen minutes! WOO! Thank you very much to **My Starry Sky, ;), sakanascales876, SerentiyMoonGodness, CharmedSerenity3, PriestessHelene, dancingprincess1093,** and **mae-E. **I look forward to more reviews!

**AngelMoon Girl**


	6. Phantom Princess I

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Phantom Princess I"  
Setting: Season 2  
Genre: Canon

The air was biting, surroundings shrouded in a pall of ice reminiscent of winter's embrace.

But it was not winter.

Two figures stood wrapped in each other's arms under the sky of eternal night, just under the shadow of Crystal Palace. The tallest- a man- had his ebony cloak tucked securely around the petite body of his female comrade. The girl was scantily dressed for the cold weather, adorned in a gown of sheer white silk that gathered form-fitting at the waist and continued in an elegant trail all the way to the ground. The back of her fancy bodice sprouted fairy-like wings, in mimicry of a Queen trapped inside a quartz coffin only stories above them. She was beautiful; a princess in all respects of the title...

But not his princess.

No, this was Dimande's princess. A phantom of the girl he truly loved; a mockery of the woman she was meant to be.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama," Usagi sighed, with grateful inflection to her voice. Kamen knew she was relieved to be safe once more in his grasp, far away from the bewitching powers of that devilish prince. He tried to keep the memories of their most recent escape from his mind, for it made the raven-haired man sick to think of what could have occurred had he been only seconds too late.

The botched kiss.

The hungry look in Prince Dimande's eyes.

The _bed_.

Tuxedo Kamen could only imagine what perverted fantasies his Usako would have had to reenact for the pleasure of that bastard.

"King Endymion said, that our time to be severely tested is yet to come," Kamen related, an edge of foreboding to his tone. What trials were yet to plague them? Hadn't Usagi's kidnapping been horror enough? Why could they never have _peace_?

Usagi looked down and then up, blinking rather bashfully. With the earnest conviction of an angel, she reassured, "No matter what happens, we will..."

Words failed, but Kamen knew immediately what his future wife meant. After all, it was a sentiment they lived by. Overcome with emotion, he delved down to capture Usagi's frozen lips, chasing away images of Dimande and exorcising the persistent phantoms of a princess- _his princess_- decorated like a sex toy.

He would never let that starved prince or any other man steal the affection of his heart. Not while she was safe in his arms, warded from the searing wind and protected from the dancing snowflakes.

Usako was his, now and forever.

* * *

A/N: So ends part 1 of "Phantom Princess"! The next installment is related to Usagi's kidnapping, but will be AU and occur a couple episodes later. I'm unsure if I'll post immediately following this chapter or wait a couple... hmm...

Anyhoo, thank you to the fabulous reviewers**: Ummster, sakanascales876, SelenityHyperion, CharmedSerenity3, Henna Ryans, My Starry Sky, mae-E, dancingprincess1093, QueenOfPlanets,** and **Angel no Yami. **My sincerest thanks to you all! *Wipes tears*

**AngelMoon Girl **


	7. Phantom Princess II

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Phantom Princess II"  
Setting: Season 2  
Genre: AU

The sun sent a rich myriad of colors dancing over Tokyo in fond farewell to the afternoon, twilight sneaking up on a band of Sailor Senshi watching the sunset wane. Four teenagers stood apart from a couple mired in mutual sorrow, mourning the loss of a daughter they had only just discovered. The haunting echo of silence seemed to mock the brooding group in the wake of a child-turned-woman's tinkling laughter, lambasting the world for its injustices and insults. No one was quite sure how long they remained in the remnants of a battleground, ignoring the crevices gouged into pavement in favor of raised eyes to hopeful horizons. The moon was on its ascent when Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen finally faced their patient comrades, masked pain in each of their countenances.

"We'll set her free," Sailor Moon whispered fiercely, grabbing at Kamen's hand and squeezing. "No matter what it takes, we'll set Chibi-Usa free."

Her Senshi nodded with just as much passion, but a sigh escaped many a lip.

"It's too late to do anything now. We can't be too hasty; we all need to rest," Sailor Mercury intoned grimly, noticing that the return trip from Crystal Tokyo and subsequent altercation with Black Lady had culminated in a bout of fatigue so strong she wished to succumb to it here and now.

"I'll see if Mama will have us over tomorrow," Sailor Moon spoke up quietly, still clutching Kamen's fingers for what looked like dear life. The aforementioned tuxedo-clad man was observing her with concern out of the corner of his eye as he listened, appraising her shaky grip on composure falter almost imperceptibly at the word 'Mama'. He wondered if he was the only one to see this stumble and interpret it correctly.

"And I'll check the Sacred Fire for anything that may be of use," Mars added fervently. She shifted back into her civilian form, flicking stubborn raven locks over her shoulder with a fidgety hand. The others followed suit in a haze of planetary hues, but all faces whipped to Usagi as she gasped loudly.

"Oh no," the odangoed blonde moaned, wrapping her arms around her stomach protectively as she curled in on herself. "Oh no, oh no... I forgot..."

"What on earth?" Makoto murmured, unable to pull her stare elsewhere even as she sensed her leader's discomfort. Minako seemed to be having the same problem as she gaped, mouth hanging ajar. A query burning in all of their minds tumbled from her before she could think the words through.

"Why are you... wearing that Neo-Queen Serenity imitation gown?"

Mamoru's eyes hardened at the mention of Usagi's scant white dress, but he reached over to pull the sobbing princess into his arms. "Dimande," he growled, and the name was sufficient explanation enough. Ami choked and Rei's obsidian orbs began blazing with icy anger.

"He didn't... violate her, did he? Because if he so much as laid _one _perverted finger anywhere on her body, I swear I'll-"

"He tried to kiss me," Usagi interrupted, muffled by the fabric of Mamoru's jacket. She turned her head to gaze pleadingly at Rei. "That's all. He didn't even get the chance to finish it either, thanks to Mamo-chan. I'm fine."

"You're going to defend that bastard?" Mamoru snarled, but his menacing tone reflected an internally directed fury. Disgust laced every modulation of the ebony-head's voice as he continued. "I'm pretty sure his intentions were clear, Usako. He locked you in a room with a bed; kissing was the most nominal of his goals. If only I'd... I'd acted faster when he first kidnapped you-"

"Mamo-chan, you did try!" Usagi cried earnestly. "You did, but he was too powerful, for _all _of us! I couldn't even use the Silver Crystal in his presence; I lost free will. Dimande... he reduced me to a toy, Mamo-chan! I was... I was his toy..."

Mamoru tugged Usagi back to his chest as she began weeping again, eyes begging the girls for some privacy. The four exchanged emotion-laden looks, full of sympathy and infuriation at what their princess had been forced to endure. The promise of vengeance burgeoned in every visage as they nodded, in unison, to Mamoru. He smiled half-heartedly at their devotion as the quartet trudged off into the night, coalescing in whispers that were carried away into the breeze.

He could only imagine the horror Prince Dimande had incurred upon himself by earning the wrath of those four warriors. He had messed with the wrong Moon Princess, that was for sure. Heaven help the man when the Sailor Senshi got their hands on him, because Mamoru knew he sure as hell wasn't going to. No, he'd be fighting for first punch!

"I don't want to be alone tonight, Mamo-chan," Usagi sniffed, peeking one glistening cerulean eye up at his chary countenance. "The minute I lie down, I'm going to see his face. I'm going to feel his hands on me, yanking my chin, p-pulling me to his lips. Please, Mamo-chan, not tonight... Please... I- I can't-"

Mamoru utilized a gentle finger to cease his paramour's rambling. "Hush, Usako. Of course you can spend the night."

Usagi smiled gratefully up at her future husband, then nuzzled her golden head against his heart. "Thank you, Mamo-chan."

A transformation and several rooftop bounds later, Usagi was being placed on her feet by Tuxedo Kamen in the living room of his apartment. However, the small blonde took the man completely by surprise when she lunged into his arms, kissing the life out of him. Kamen froze in surprise, then responded with hungry desire as his hormones kicked in, spreading a dizzying warmth through his system. It was with great restraint that the masked crusader stepped out of Usagi's embrace when she resurfaced for oxygen.

"Usako?" he asked in confusion, laying a gloved palm on Usagi's moist cheek.

"Mamo-chan, I _need _this. Please," Usagi insisted, grasping desperately at his hand and ravishing it with her lips. Another tear trickled down her face.

"Are... are you saying we...?" Tuxedo Kamen cursed his lack of articulation, but his astonishment coupled with sudden understanding rushed to parry his eloquence.

"He- Dimande- he... he made me realize how easily it can be taken. How... how simple it is, to lose my innocence to... to someone other than you, Mamo-chan," Usagi choked, body trembling and taut as she pressed herself into him. "And I don't want... he's still out there, and I-"

But no further quivering words were needed. No more words were required for the rest of the night, in fact, as Kamen threw himself at Usagi and Usagi to him, legs straddling his waist as the pair toppled into a wall while grappling lips.

Mamoru did so relish in tearing off the hideous gown of Dimande's fantasies, leaving it in a haphazard state of disarray on the floor to be burned later. After all, there was a bed drowning in brilliant moonlight just beckoning to house the consummation of a love that had transcended time and phantom alike.

Tomorrow, the search for the missing would commence; tonight, however, the found would rejoice.

* * *

A/N: Finally, a one shot of substantial weight! Hehe. Hope everyone enjoyed it; the idea for Part II stemmed from my recollection that the Senshi always de-transformed into the clothes they were last wearing. And seeing as the last time Usagi transformed, it was from Prince Dimande's "Get-off-on-young-Serenity" attire... ;D Well, I guess you could say everything fell into place from there. Please review, and thank you to **CharmedSerenity3, My Starry Sky, SelenityHyperion, Angel no Yami, mae-E, Illusina, BeeDiddy, nebelflecke., sakanascales876, sm fan, dancingprincess1093, PriestessHelene, **and **Ashgeliton. **GRACIAS, MES AMIGOS! Hehe. No, I'm not Spanish and I can't even speak the language. Bah, I probably even got that phrase wrong!

**AngelMoon Girl**


	8. Insanity

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Insanity"  
Setting: Season 1  
Genre: AU

Chiba Mamoru was not easily surprised.

He could stand apathetic in the face of danger, months of skirting death having dulled his sense of self-preservation. After all, daily skirmishes with youma and Dark Kingdom generals alike had given him much practice in that area of expertise.

He could also weather just about any flight of immaturity flung into his path, be it womanly theatrics or an abundance of teenage angst. After all, four out of five times a week he survived his fair share of encounters with the most effervescent, exasperating, naïve, carefree girl on the planet.

_But really_, Mamoru bemoaned as he lost his coffee to the tabletop and Motoki's face in one careening spray, _this just takes the cake_.

"YOU HAVE A _WHAT_?" the ebony-haired college student shouted, forgetting all propriety as he slammed down his mug, contents sloshing dangerously, and stormed over to a booth full of blushing girls. He wasn't quite sure why this discomfited him so; it was inconsequential, and hardly his business in the first place. Perhaps it was because his usual quiet study session had been interrupted by Mizuno Ami, of all people, letting slip very loudly the juicy piece of gossip regarding one Tsukino Usagi. Or maybe it was the shock that coursed through his system, along with an unhealthy dose of jealousy as he watched Ami get forcibly yanked down to the hissing whispers of her friends.

Because really… it wasn't every day one discovered that their secret crush had a hickey. A hickey that symbolized she was being nuzzled and kissed by another man. A man that was most certainly _not_ him.

And so, it was with the intent to interrogate frothing within Mamoru's chest that the eighteen-year-old stalked over to the cowering, incarnadine-cheeked Senshi, eyes burning into the wary cerulean of his Odango Atama… the one he fell for after just one bonk to the scalp from a failed test, gratefully receiving the refuse like his beautiful angel's personal garbage can.

Yes, he was probably insane.

Unfortunately, infatuation tended to include that side-effect, and poor Tsukino Usagi was about to experience it firsthand.

"M-Mamoru-san," the blonde acknowledged, sliding further into her comrade Makoto at the strangely primal expression on her nemesis' countenance. "Funny seeing you here…"

"Is it true?" Mamoru demanded, fists clenching and unclenching as he resisted the urge to seek out Usagi's neck for assurance.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," Usagi giggled nervously, turning to glare at Ami when Mamoru frowned. "Not that you care anyway…"

"I care about young girls giving their body away, yes," he growled, internally bashing himself over the head. _Odango? Giving away her body? Great, way to make a simple hickey sound like prostitution, Chiba. Very smooth._

Apparently, Usagi latched onto this line of thinking and retorted with a vengeance. "Go away, Chiba! I… I have many interested males who… who flock in my wake! And it's my business what I do in my free time, so… so just leave me alone!"

Hino Rei seemed to lose it at this speech, burying her head in her arms and snickering voraciously. Mamoru raised a brow at this display, then turned back to Usagi, appraising her. She sniffed and jerked her face the other way with uppity indignance, finally revealing- albeit inadvertently- the pink blemish on her creamy skin to Mamoru. He swallowed hard at the circular dark tinge, a little voice lamenting that _he'd_ wanted to inflict that form of love on the teen… not some immature and horny schoolboy, steadfastly proclaiming his lust with a pressure-induced mark.

"I'm only worried about your safety, Odango," Mamoru intoned at last, tone gentle yet husky with invisible grief. Usagi started and Makoto twitched a grin, leaning back to watch the odd conversation between the two sworn enemies unfurl. Ami just averted her eyes and stared into her lap, still flushing crimson.

"M-me?"

"Do you fully understand what you're getting yourself into, accepting hickies?"

"I… of course I do," Usagi mumbled, twiddling her fingers anxiously. Rei's howling laughter escalated as Usagi coughed delicately and pushed out of the booth past Mamoru, careful not to brush against him. The college student, for his part, tried futilely to ignore the horrible, disfiguring, ugly, boorish, uncharacteristic blotch of color marring the neck of the girl he'd dubbed his own. It hurt too much to look at, knowing her chances of ending up with him had just decreased drastically because of the hickey's presence. Mamoru gazed mournfully at the blonde's retreating back as she hurriedly scooted over to Motoki with cash and then out the door.

"I can't believe you actually believed that crap," Rei gasped upon Usagi's departure, wiping tears of mirth from her cheeks as she resurfaced. Mamoru pivoted sharply to accost her, eyes bulging.

"You… you mean…?"

"I guess she was too embarrassed to tell you, but it's not even a hickey," the priestess fairly gloated, though there was a foreign gleam in her eyes that hinted of newfound opportunity.

"Rei-chan, I don't think you should-" Ami began concernedly, only to be mollified by Makoto's quelling hand waving at her to shut up and let Rei take the reins.

"Usagi's never even had a boyfriend. The ditz tripped while she was vacuuming and landed face-first on the sucker end, causing that mark. If you'd… er… rushed over here a little sooner, you might have heard the real story."

"You know, I bet Usagi-chan's pretty distraught right now. I think you should apologize, Mamoru-san. Jumping to conclusions is a surefire way to kill any relationship. Or, non-relationship, shall I say?" Makoto drawled blithely, smirking at Mamoru from under her brown bangs with a cheekily knowing expression in place. He gaped at the brawny teen with her arms cast languidly behind her head, fully comprehending Makoto's implications.

"Well don't stand there gawking! You'll miss her entirely!" Rei exclaimed, shoving at the motionless Mamoru. He gulped noisily, then nodded at the trio before racing out of Fruit Parlor Crown. Rei flicked Ami in the shoulder, smiling.

"Thanks, bookworm."

"For what?" Ami queried, nonplussed. Her eyes swept from Rei to Makoto, frowning.

Makoto leaned back, closing her eyes and grinning manically. "You'll see. For now, we have to be patient. At least until Usagi-chan comes barreling back in here like mad..."

oOo

He found her vacillating on his usual haunt of a corner, watching traffic pensively as she rubbed at the fake hickey. Leering at a sudden idea, Mamoru snuck up behind the fourteen-year-old with all the stealth he'd acquired battling Dark Kingdom scum for a living. His left hand snaked out and twirled Usagi around by the arm, stifling her scream with his right. She blinked rapidly up at him, taken aback by his forward greeting as Mamoru crooned,

"Shh. That's no way to address your favorite jerk, is it?"

"_Favorite_? You've got to be kidding me," Usagi returned, pulling out of his loose grip with feisty disparagement. She crossed her arms over her chest, glowering up at him. "What's wrong? Thought your kind didn't typically come slithering out of the gutters during the daytime."

"Touche, Odango," Mamoru chuckled, sucking in a breath when burgeoning sunlight hit the top of Usagi's head just right, creating a golden halo effect. With real effort, he continued to the angel incarnate, "Although Hino-san just shared with me a… _startling_ development."

Mamoru took a careful step forward, entranced by the fiery glow surrounding Usagi like a heavenly pall of light. He half-expected the blonde to bolt, but for some reason her feet remained rooted to the spot. "She informed me your hickey isn't actually a hickey after all. Funny, that."

"Of course it's a hickey," Usagi murmured, lost in his consuming blue eyes of satin midnight. Mamoru nudged himself even closer, their chests almost touching. Again, he wondered why Usagi didn't run before insanity clouded all else.

"No. _This _is a hickey," Mamoru whispered, bending down with dreamlike ease to suckle at a soft patch of skin on the opposite side of Usagi's neck. The teen gasped, toes curling as she unconsciously pressed intimately into Mamoru, body begging for more. The man's feathery lips tickled her neck as his teeth gently ravaged out a bruise, and Usagi closed her eyes… Drowning. Savoring. Utterly mesmerized. She shivered once before the wonderful sensation was gone, and Mamoru's delicious body heat suddenly disappeared. The odangoed teen peeked open her lids, mouthing incomprehensibly as Mamoru glanced uncomfortably down at her. He raked shaky fingers through his shaggy black locks.

"I… I don't know what came over me. I'm really sorry, Odango, I-"

"Shh. That's no way to address your favorite jerk, is it?" Usagi quipped weakly, still trying to master a cogent expression bereft of disorientation. She shook her head, dazed. "What was that?"

"I… I don't know. You felt it too?" Mamoru questioned. He exhaled loudly. "I… guess hickies are pretty powerful stuff, huh?"

"Yeah," Usagi agreed, still in a fog as she fingered her neck gingerly. Mamoru felt a rush of glee seeing his mouth imprinted on her neck so prominently; a visible claim to her heart. He hastened to stifle the welling of joy, however, instead imparting awkwardly,

"I really am sorry. I only wanted to show you… argh, never mind. See you tomorrow, Odango Atama."

"See you tomorrow," Usagi answered, long after the college student had meandered beyond her line of sight. She finally drew back her exploring hand and wandered back in the direction of Fruit Parlor Crown, where three girls awaited with bets in need of settling.

A strange thought flitted across Usagi's mind just before she crossed the street, realizing that everything between her and the jerk was about to change.

_Tomorrow I'll fake my first kiss as well…_

* * *

A/N: Um, yeah. I really don't know where I was going with that. After Mamoru gives Usagi the hickey I just started rambling, not quite sure where to end it. Sorry, but I'm sleep-deprived AND pissed off. I had an amazing beginning to this that stupid FF's document system didn't save, which was unfortunately much better than the one provided. URGH. Sooo... Like it? Hate it? I want some feedback! :)

Thank you to **PriestessHelene, mae-E, sakanascales876, Blue Bluejays, CharmedSerenity3, astarte_lydianna, Ummster, Avalonian Witch, BeeDiddy, Illusina, **and **Ashgeliton. **I worship you all! Seriously, I do!

**AngelMoon Girl**


	9. Cold

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Cold"  
Setting: Crystal Tokyo  
Genre: Any

It was his turn.

The lump in King Endymion's throat swelled painfully as Lady Mercury gestured him somberly onward, the shaky grip she had on composure slipping as the pair connected eyes. With a deep, steadying breath, Crystal Tokyo's monarch squeezed the small hand clutching his. A little sniffle attracted his attention before the man could step forward, and he looked down at Princess Usagi. The sixteen-year-old was gazing up at him pleadingly.

"Do we have to, Papa?" she whispered, ignoring the millions of eyes measuring the two's every move like a callous spotlight.

Endymion ran his fingers through the pink hair that was quickly becoming a more docile strawberry blonde, much like Serenity's had morphed from gold to silver as her powers increased.

_Serenity_.

The name was like a sadistic twist of the knife, a knife already buried deep within his festering and bleeding heart. Endymion squeezed back tears as he replied softly to his daughter, "Don't you want to say goodbye, Small Lady?"

Usagi's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly downward- 'Small Lady' was hardly a title befitting any teenager, she'd long ago admonished- but as Endymion realized his err, he inwardly praised the girl for her tact. Now was not the time for childish sulking; not when the whole of the kingdom was watching them, and certainly not when _she_ awaited.

The princess seemed to remember this, and she bit her lip, looking up at the rigid figure half-hidden inside her regal confines mere feet away.

"You won't get another chance," Endymion said, and Usagi gathered her wits at this aching reminder.

"Let's go," she sighed, and her father nodded encouragingly as he led them up the marble dais. Endymion's feet felt like ten pound weights as he and Usagi ascended, his eyes blinking sluggishly and body shivering slightly in denial. Seeing his wife like this... encased forever in a bed of silver, hands folded perfectly over her stomach...

The King stopped when they were standing directly in front of the open coffin. His breath caught at the sight of Neo-Queen Serenity's face, serene as it had been in life. She could have been sleeping, with the only giveaway that no spark resided behind her calm features being the pale hue to Her Majesty's skin. Endymion heard his daughter give a muffled sob, and even though he felt like breaking down himself, the presence of Serenity kept him stoic; detached. Part of him was still waiting for her to crack open one gloriously exuberant blue eye and wink, stifling snickers at this latest ruse that had succeeded only too well. But he knew that would not happen.

Because Neo-Queen Serenity was dead. Dead as the silence of the royal chambers in the early morning; lifeless as the heartstrings of Endymion's soul. He bent over almost without thinking to press a kiss to Serenity's stone cold lips, praying with all his might that the warmth would somehow revive the drained specter Endymion loved so fervently. He wanted to feel her cheeks flush; to observe the subtle jerks that precluded Serenity's every awakening since the day Endymion wed her. He wanted a miracle, that's what, but all of Endymion's fiercest wishes fell on deaf ears because when the man finally resurfaced, tears escaping down his cheeks, Serenity was still as cold and unmoving as a block of carefully chiseled ice.

"I tried, Usako," he uttered miserably, tracing a finger down her frozen profile. "I guess that sort of thing only happens once a lifetime."

"She looks so peaceful," the younger Usagi commented quietly from beside Endymion, mopping her countenance of moisture delicately with a handkerchief. The King wondered when his little girl had become so prim and proper, and then he surmised sadly that the metamorphosis must have occurred while his back was turned. Serenity's quickly ailing health had surprised them all, but none more so than Princess Usagi. It was with grudging acceptance that Crystal Tokyo's heir shouldered her mantle, aware that the time would soon come when her parents' reign concluded. Neo-Queen Serenity's unexpected death had been the hammer to the nail; the Pyrrhic victory for an unwilling Princess Usagi Small Lady Serenity. This funeral symbolized an end and a beginning. Tomorrow, Endymion would be deemed regent. Tomorrow, Usagi would be Queen Lady Serenity of Crystal Tokyo. "And the roses crowning her head... what a fitting touch. Mama would have liked that."

"She never did prefer jewels, did she?" Endymion laughed half-heartedly, reluctantly pulling his hand away from the coffin. Instead, he wrapped an arm around Usagi. "Come. There are hundreds of mourners who wish to bid farewell to your mother; to celebrate her existence and grieve her passing. It would not be kind of us to monopolize the public's desire."

After one last reverent eye-sweep of Serenity's body, King Endymion led them back down the stairs. He knew his heart had remained in that glittering casket beside the Queen, and that life would never be the same until the cold that afflicted Serenity called him to join her as well. Still, Usagi's altruistic declaration assured Endymion that there was still hope.

"You're right. Mama doesn't belong to us anymore. We have to share, because she is everybody's angel now."

The painful lump was back. Endymion hugged Usagi to him, gracing heaven with a grateful smile for having left a piece of Serenity in his care. So long as he had Small Lady, he had his beloved.

And that would satiate him until the day the family was allowed to reunite for all eternity.

_Wait for me, Usako._

* * *

A/N: Oh, the angst! This is totally depressing me, and I'm already moping enough as it is. My computer may need to have its system wiped because of a stupid virus *shakes fist at the losers who have no life but to make others miserable with Internet worms*. NOOO my music! My pictures! My livelihood! Seriously, guys, my laptop is my release. You all better pray nothing bad happens or we could have some serious delays *gulp*.

P.S. I was a very bad girl who forgot to thank her reviewers the first time I uploaded! Sending lovesies out to **sakanascales876, PriestessHelene, CharmedSerenity3, angeliclin, mae-E, BeeDiddy, Ummster, TheBlackSister, Secluded Sapphire, **and **sweetnspicy7**!

A friendly review might help cheer me up...?

**AngelMoon Girl**


	10. The Best Part of Breaking Up

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "The Best Part of Breaking Up"  
Setting: Future, pre-Crystal Tokyo  
Genre: Any

Mamoru absolutely loved to break up with Usagi.

He truly did, and at times the man even wondered if psychologically there was something seriously, seriously wrong with him. After all, what boyfriend staged arguments just to watch in excitement and delight as their girlfriend flushed all manner of colors? Over time, breaking up had even become a bit of a game. They'd be sitting watching television and out would slip an innocent little gibe, usually about her hair or the dinner Mamoru reckoned starving hobos would reject for fear of food poisoning.

Then, like a spark to fire, Usagi would come to life with righteous indignation. Twisting in her seat, or sometimes standing in fanaticism, she would rail against him with insults abound. Her favorite topic seemed to be his jacket, which she often compared to "Broccoli, the wrong way out!"

Yelling at the top of their lungs, and probably giving poor Mrs. Forty-Seven downstairs a heart attack in the process, the pair would then proceed to vent their frustrations in a voice to rival the other. For Mamoru, this part was always a wonderful release to a love that, at times, seemed _too _perfect. If he and Usagi were like the earth and the moon, perfect complements, so too were they oil and water. Some days were the epitome of passion, but without conflict to work through, these moments dragged on into monotony. He didn't want to ever take their life; their relationship for granted. He wanted to be grateful every day for the joy Usagi brought him, and for some reason, reverting back to their teenage selves and breaking up served to reinforce that sentiment. "You don't know what you have until it's gone," the wise maxim proclaims.

Of course, it never did get _that_ far.

"That's _it_! We-are-through!"

"Fine! See if I care! Walk out the door, go!"

And then they would simply stand there, two brimming polar opposites gasping for breath in the wake of fury. Measuring each other during a mutual reprieve, some might say. Others, that the couple were simply taking a moment to compose themselves after loudly expressing their emotions.

Mamoru knew that neither of these assumptions were true.

Because the best part of breaking up is making up, and before Mamoru even had the chance to blink, Usagi would be on him. Tearing at his clothes, her clothes; lips crushing together with all the feverish insistence of apology they could muster. Mamoru would reach his hands up to tangle themselves in Usagi's hair as she responded in kind. This would go on for several minutes until Usagi tugged away from him, usually to pull the two of them into the bedroom with a silly giggle, and at this inadvertent admission Mamoru would smile.

Because he knew, breaking up was just as much a game to him as it was to Usagi.

The only question begging to be asked is which one loved it _more_?

* * *

A/N: Ehehe. Make up sex. Gotta love it. This chapter was a nice break from the melodrama of the last *nodnod*! And it only took me half an hour, woo! ^^ I just think it's so silly yet so viable to have Mamoru and Usagi in this position. For all their "miracle romance", the pair really are complete opposites, and that has to affect their relationship _sometimes_! Trying to combine both of these elements in a one shot was fairly easy, and I really like the idea that the two now consider breaking up almost a game, doing it purely to let off a little steam. Wouldn't you get bored of never-ending passion? Besides, make up sex is _so_ much better after a heated argument! ;P

*Hugs **Senshi'sBard, Serandi82, sakanascales876, LamourDNC, mae-E, Ashgeliton, ARABELLA VIOLETTA, Secluded Sapphire, dancingprincess1093, Bin82501, mangamania, PriestessHelene, CharmedSerenity3, **and** StarryNight101 **for their prompt feedback and lavishing remarks... LOVE you all!*

Review!

**AngelMoon Girl**


	11. Jaded Silence

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Jaded Silence"  
Setting: Future, pre-Crystal Tokyo  
Genre: Any

He did not deserve her perfection.

She was a paladin crowned in glowing light as the sun peeked into their apartment, reigning in the new dawn. Hair afire and features serene, Mamoru knew there were simply no words to describe Tsukino Usagi's flawless beauty-- inside, and out. He sighed, reaching out to gently tuck a loose strand of golden hair behind his wife's ear. Usagi twitched, just once, at the touch. For a moment Mamoru feared he had awakened her, but then the man chuckled.

What a silly thought. The girl slept through just about anything, be it her alarm clock or the apocalypse. Of course he hadn't roused her.

Still, Mamoru kept his movement limited as he quietly slipped from the bed and began getting ready for his early shift at the hospital. The silence of their apartment was almost deafening, so used to Usagi's tinkling laughter was Mamoru. Ever since she moved in, Mamoru had forgotten what utter silence such as this entailed. On one hand he welcomed the opportunity for reflection, but on the other he grieved at the aching stillness so devoid of the Odango Atama's cheer. As if to reassure himself, Mamoru ducked his head back into the bedroom as he chewed pensively on toast.

Usagi had rolled into the warmth of his body's wake, snuggling deeply into the imprint left on the duvet. What Mamoru would have given to simply lay there beside the blonde, watching her dream... Every breathe she took in and every puff of air she released was a gift to Mamoru; a sense of fulfillment that all was now right with his life. He had a promising future. A family. He had _Usagi_.

And yet, there were times when doubt crept into Mamoru's mind; when the silence was so overpowering that it sliced through all of the man's defenses. Perhaps he was simply jaded, or self-deprecating. Whatever the reason, Mamoru could not help but regard his slumbering slip of an angel with a painful sensation of unworthiness.

She was like a fresh breath of sunlight after endless night. He was a cold specter fit for the shadows; a brooding Adonis with dark eyes and an even darker outlook on life.

She was magnificent, lively, and a shining star to all who had the grace of knowing her. He was bland, boring, and preferred skulking corners like the world's most uninteresting wallflower.

She forgave the world of its injustices with one sympathetic bat of her encompassing blue eyes. He distrusted everyone, held grudges, and placed his faith in few confidantes.

Sometimes Mamoru wondered just how Destiny had managed to matchmake him and Usagi when they were such polar opposites; when she was so resplendent and he so arid. It was a mystery even the silence could not solve, but as Mamoru pressed gentle kisses to his wife's closed eyelids he knew that, undeserving or not, he wouldn't have wanted life to turn out any other way.

* * *

A/N: Damn, I'm on a roll! This is the second story I've updated today ;D What a great feeling! Although I think my hands are really starting to hurt...

Big thank you to all the kind reviewers of last chapter: **ARABELLA VIOLETTA, PriestessHelene, StarryNight101, Secluded Sapphire, Senshi'sBard, sakanascales876, CharmedSerenity3, dancingprincess1093, mae-E, Ministarlet, mangamania, BeeDiddy, **and** kbpluto.**

Until next time,

**AngelMoon Girl**


	12. Coy Diplomacy

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Coy Diplomacy"  
Setting: Silver Millennium  
Genre: Any

"King Terran, Queen Gaia, Prince Endymion... I present to you my daughter, Princess Serenity; heir to the throne of the Silver Millennium."

A dainty hand reached out and was clasped by the three royal Earthlings, who in turn laid chaste kisses onto the soft skin with reverently mumbled greetings.

"How do you do?" the golden-haired goddess fairly purred with demure grace, her heavenly countenance bright as the woman pinned each guest with a sweet smile. Her vivacious blue eyes lingered for just a fraction of a second longer on Prince Endymion, and his lips twitched upward into a barely disguised smirk before the man donned his usual diplomatic mask. Serenity blinked bashfully, face seeking out the floor until she remembered her place. A princess never averted her eyes during important monarchical conversation.

"Shall we retire to the tea room?" Queen Serenity of the Silver Moon suggested, as elegant as her daughter was beautiful. She waved her arm toward the arching doorway leading off the balcony, into the majestically decorated chamber within. A servant appeared by her side almost instantly, asking the visitors if they wished to unload some of their heavy outer garments. While the king and queen politely declined, Endymion shrugged his armor and cape off without a second thought and passed it over to the attendant. Gaia pursed her lips.

"Mother, they aren't planning to attack us," Endymion murmured under his breath, rolling his dark eyes. The distrust between the Earthlings and Lunarians was so fervent it was almost risible, at least to the younger generation. Princess Serenity hastily changed her giggle into a delicate cough, and Endymion's coy grin made a second reappearance. Queen Serenity, pretending to ignore this exchange, thanked the servant and led the group into her private tea room. Or, as her daughter secretly referred to it, the unspoken negotiation room. It was the perfect setting for peaceful mediation- comfortable armchairs, colorful paintings, and an opulent fireplace that constantly emitted pleasant waves of warmth. Of course, it also helped that Queen Serenity consistently maintained a tranquil attitude, even in the face of spite. Her younger namesake never failed to feel a sense of awe while watching her mother interact with alien consuls, wondering if she had the ability to step into that demanding role when the time came. As it was, Princess Serenity dreaded political discourse such as this. She would rather have spent the morning quietly roaming the gardens, but this meeting was too crucial for her to miss. This meeting would determine whether her future shattered into heartbreaking oblivion or was wrapped up neatly in a pretty red bow.

If Terran and Gaia didn't acquiesce...

No. She didn't even want to consider the possibility. Serenity stiffened her shoulders, trying not to let any of the rogue emotions leak onto her features. She followed her silver-haired mother into the tea room, claiming the sofa in front of the Earthlings. Endymion seemed to fidget nervously before finally deciding to stare into the crackling fire, allowing his parents full reign over the conversation. Serenity knew exactly how he felt. She sighed, waiting for the gavel to fall.

"So... it is of your opinion, Highness, that our son should marry your daughter?" Terran began, nodding to Princess Serenity impassively.

"That is correct. I believe an alliance between the earth and the moon would be beneficial to both parties. If I may speak frankly, Terran, I think this animosity has gone on long enough. We need to end the cycle, now, before it is too late. I do not wish for a war to break out," Queen Serenity entreated passionately.

Terran and Gaia shared a look, and both were silent for a few moments until Gaia prompted softly, "Endymion?"

The aforementioned prince started, evicting himself from reverie. He cleared his throat, glancing momentarily at Princess Serenity's intense expression. "The Queen has a valid point, Father. This betrothal has the potential to seal an alliance between our restless nations. If we can sway the people, we can ensure the peace Earth has desired for so long."

"And what of that self-proclaimed sorceress, Endymion? Beryl's cries for revolution, for the overthrow of the Silver Millennium, are not falling on deaf ears. I fear if we allow this marriage, we are paving the way for insurrection."

"And what if Beryl _does_ succeed?" Endymion argued. "You are the king, Father. You have access to legions of militants; to one of the finest bred armies around. Could Beryl and her meager minion of rebels stand up to the power of the monarchy? I think not. If revolution occurred, we would take it in stride. If I may speak boldly, sir, you can't deny how the overwhelming pros far outweigh the cons regarding a union between the earth and moon kingdoms. Earth would do well to proceed with this agreement."

"Your son is wise, Terran," Queen Serenity praised amiably, eying Endymion with a new measure of respect. "He would be a valuable asset to the Silver Millennium as High King."

Terran seemed to relax at this, realizing his only son would, through marriage, rule the most powerful alliance in all the Solar System. For the first time, a brilliant smile lit up his ancient features. "Gaia, I do believe a betrothal celebration is in order."

Queen Serenity grabbed up her daughter's hand, beaming as widely as Terran and Gaia. "Then please, let us host a ball for Serenity and Endymion. Tonight. Won't you honor the Moon Kingdom with your presence?"

oOo

The rest of the day seemed to fly by in a blur for Princess Serenity. As she was escorted from one activity to the next, her feet seemed to float on air and her smile refused to fade. After perhaps the hundredth congratulations, however, the blonde-haired woman began to grow slowly weary. She had yet to catch a moment alone with her future husband, constantly being chaperoned by either her mother or the Senshi guard. The ball was even worse than Serenity's busy afternoon; sitting perched at the decadent feast, rows away from Endymion, she nearly lost it.

Of course, princesses aren't allowed to simply _lose it_.

And that was why, at a quarter to midnight, Serenity caught Endymion's attention with a drop of her handkerchief. She resurfaced from underneath the table, flushing. Endymion chuckled, following suit as he recognized the sign. Serenity quickly excused herself, claiming a headache. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Endymion took the inattention to slip away himself. Only the ever-observant Sailor Mercury seemed to notice, but Serenity's guardian did little more than shake her head in exasperation. She was surprised they hadn't utilized that ploy sooner.

oOo

Princess Serenity stood alone in her bedroom, staring out the window at the vibrant blue and green gem that would soon be her home. Or... would it? She surmised her mother would probably want her and Endymion to stay close to the moon, but more than anything Serenity wanted to escape. She wanted bubbling brooks and chirping birds; green grass and flowers that grew without needing to be re-planted every season. For as long as the Silver Millennium's heir could remember, Earth had been her dream. But even now, when it seemed the planet was at her fingertips, Serenity felt the suffocating grip of her princessly duties. Sometimes... sometimes, all she wanted was Endymion and the peaceful certitude of a normal life. Sometimes she hated the moon.

"Rose for your thoughts?"

Serenity felt his strong arms encircle her stomach, pulling the blonde into a protective embrace. She giggled when he flicked his hands, and the aforementioned flower suddenly appeared. She loved it when he did that.

Endymion offered the gift up to Serenity, and she gave a great whiff of the saccharine blossom before gently resting it on the windowsill. Then she twisted in Endymion's arms, pressing her body to his. The princess reached up and cradled his perfectly chiseled cheekbones in either of her petite palms. "It's finally happening, Endy. We did it. We won. We're getting married!"

Endymion groaned in pure joy, tangling his fingers in Serenity's gossamer odango. "I was so worried Father wouldn't agree. He seemed so adamant. But by Selene, was that ball _dull_."

Serenity giggled; a wonderfully tinkling and carrying peal. "And you wondered why I wanted to leave this place..."

Endymion joined in her mirth, squeezing his fiancee close. "Not to mention the agony I had to endure, pretending we were nothing more than acquaintances when all I wanted to do was sweep you into my arms and kiss you senseless..."

Serenity began wiggling out of his grasp with a teasing look on her face. "Oh, would you look at the time! They'll be unveiling the cake any moment-"

"Don't play coy, Sere," Endymion growled, locking her between his sturdy frame and the wall. "I mean it. It's nothing short of torture having to keep up the chaste strangers facade."

Serenity stopped struggling, but her cerulean eyes continued sparkling in mischief. "But Endymion... we don't have to hide anymore. We're getting _married_. It's okay to broadcast our love for all the planets to see!"

Endymion paused, revelation dawning. He let out a whooshing breath, shoulders freed of tension as the prince laughed aloud. He dragged Serenity out onto her bedroom's balcony. "Then I want all the planets to see _this_."

And then Prince Endymion proceeded to kiss the golden-haired deity senseless against the railing, easing her higher until the couple was at level with the earth's image superimposed in the sky.

* * *

A/N: Well isn't that hawwt, in the devastatingly tragic sort of way? Man, this one shot almost makes me wish Sere and Endy really got their happy ending after all... *sniff* OH WAIT. THEY DO. Tee hee. In another lifetime ;P

Hugs and kisses to **sakanascales876, CharmedSerenity3, mae-E, Secluded Sapphire, angelicin, Henna Ryans, dancingprincess1093, StarryNight101, ARABELLA VIOLETTA, BioSei, mangamania, **and **PriestessHelene.**

Please review!

**AngelMoon Girl**


	13. Taming of the Shrew

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Taming of the Shrew"  
Setting: Season One  
Genre: AU

Motoki was the one who first gave him the idea, completely by accident of course.

Mamoru never in a million years would have thought to apply the devious scheme to his own situation, but of course life is just full of unexpected solutions. Namely, how to tame the shrew also known as Tsukino Usagi. The girl had a penchant for going off on tangents with an endless stream of commentary that usually came back to him and his "bland personality, obsession with coffee, and awful sense of fashion". Motoki often likened her to an excitable puppy prone to bouts of yapping, always in the most affectionate and brotherly of ways.

Mamoru wasn't quite sure Odango Atama hadn't descended from a breed of talking parrots with an annoying propensity for piercing, nails-on-a-chalkboard screeching fits. And that was on a good day.

Gifted with infinitely more intelligence than the childish teen, or so he'd always accredited, Mamoru decided his plan to intercept Usagi's daily ranting was just about flawless.

Unfortunately- or maybe fortunately- he never expected it to backfire.

oOo

The madness began on an ordinary Monday.

Chiba Mamoru, a college student merely minding his own business behind a calculus textbook and his usual cup of black coffee, never even saw it coming. Of course, most times he didn't see her coming, but Usagi's frequent appearances were rather clockwork in nature so he supposed some part of him _did_ expect to be rudely interrupted... but that's not the point.

The point, my friends, is that what occurred next deviated sharply from the norm, altering the course of this temperamental pair's relationship for years to come.

"HE'S IN MY SPOT! Motoki-onee-san, why is he _always_ in my spot? Can't you rope it off? Put up a 'reserved' sign? This chair has been where I have sat to eat my triple scoop hot fudge sundae since I was in my _fifth year of school_, and NO ONE, not even a-"

The world may never know what colorful and unique description our dear Tsukino Usagi had concocted for her nemesis, Chiba Mamoru. And perhaps we are better off for it.

Usagi suddenly found her mouth _very _occupied, and to her consternation, it wasn't of the unpleasant sort either. The girl shivered, just once, before smacking her palms against Mamoru's chest and giving a hard push. The college student tottered backward, coffee sloshing as his lips were forcibly detached from Tsukino Usagi's. Mamoru cleared his throat awkwardly and wiped at his mouth with a triumphant gleam in his dark eyes. Motoki stared, pale and probably on the verge of a faint with his dirty washcloth hanging uselessly at the sandy blonde's side.

Usagi settled for another shriek. "WHAT THE HELL, CREEP? WHAT MAKES YOU THINK-"

Mamoru landed another wet one on Usagi's bewildered face. She choked in surprise, pulling back to finish her admonishments only to be thwarted once more.

oOo

On and on it went.

Mamoru used to count, just for fun, how many times he kissed Odango Atama a day. The most he got to was thirty nine, but that was before losing track. Now the man reckoned the total was somewhere between forty and fifty. Once in a while he wondered why Usagi never caught on; if she was truly as dull as he'd previously believed. But you see, all plans have their chinks. What Mamoru failed to foresee, and what Usagi eventually grasped, was that these kisses had come to hide a growing attraction; a chemistry as volatile and as passionate as the fights the two so enjoyed to partake in. The interim between insults expanded with each passing day as the silence of intimacy wiggled its way into their every encounter. Mamoru began to forget the reason for his little game, and there were times when he would swoop in for a smooch before Usagi had even said a word.

It wasn't until a most extraordinary Thursday at the Crown that Mamoru remembered, but by then the distraction method had become something else entirely.

"Motoki-kun, I swear, it took me _double_ the time to walk from campus to here because of that stupid-"

Mamoru froze when he was cut off by a deep, lingering kiss from none other than an unusually bold Tsukino Usagi. He blinked dumbly for a few seconds after they separated, breath catching as Usagi eased herself off tiptoe. Despite the severance, Mamoru could still feel Usagi pressed tightly up against his shaky frame, and a delicious waft of lavender and vanilla combined to assault the ebony-haired man's senses.

"O-Odango...?"

"Hush. Do you know how worried I was when you didn't show up?" Usagi asked sincerely, a small crease between her eyebrows illustrating the blonde's concern. Mamoru shook his head, eyes feasting on the emotion contained in the girl's similarly azure depths. Had she really been fretting? Over _him_? But... no one had ever expressed care for him; not _poor Chiba Mamoru_, the orphan who held everyone at icy distance.

Mamoru licked his lips. He marvelled at the fact that Usagi's voice had ever aggravated him. Now it sounded positively heavenly, with the merest suggestion of a pealing bell- cheery and bright- to add to the blonde's dulcet tones. Not screaming at each other certainly helped change his perception, Mamoru realized. "I'm sorry, Us... Usako. May... I call you that? It's a much nicer nickname than Odango Atama."

Usagi chuckled at Mamoru's nervous query. "I think I'd like that... Mamo-chan."

Eternity wove into a single ephemeral moment in which Usagi smiled at Mamoru and Mamoru at Usagi. And then, before either knew what was happening, Mamoru leaned down and Usagi tilted her head to accept a feather light brush of Mamoru's lips; a kiss that was suddenly more intense and more heartfelt than any of their sloppy, teasing Frenches had ever been.

Somewhere behind the counter, a loud thump resounded and Motoki's worn old rag skittered across the floor, away from its stupefied owner.

Suffice to say, Usagi and Mamoru ignored the noise in favor of a more worthy distraction.

* * *

A/N: Haha. You know, the idea for this one shot actually stemmed from the chapter title. I saw an ad for "The Taming of the Shrew" and, in typical AngelMoon Girl fashion, set to work on the plot bunny that accompanied the name- Mamoru, trying to distract Usagi to spare him her awful decibel-climbing holler. Did you like? Hmm?

My thanks to all who reviewed last chapter: **ARABELLA VIOLETTA, Senshi'sBard, Secluded Sapphire, StarryNight101, sakanascales876, CharmedSerenity3, PrincessSerenity1976, applenica, mae-E, AMber, tbaby08, Ashgeliton, sweetnspicy7, **and** FantasyFan123. **Is it strange for me to say I LOVE YOU? :)

**AngelMoon Girl**


	14. Intervention

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Intervention"  
Setting: Season Four  
Genre: AU

Usagi released a deep and cleansing sigh, slouching lazily in her inflatable recliner... thingy. She frowned. Or... whatever the heck it was called. Ami would have scolded her for not using the device's proper name, but right now, Usagi could have cared less. The day was hot and the water was cool, lapping eagerly up against her bikini-clad waist as the blonde languished atop the pool's sparkling surface. She peeked sideways for her friends, pouting at their inattention. Even Ami, whom Usagi would have pinned as the first person to join her, was draped across a stylish teal towel with a science textbook tucked into her hand. And the others, well, they seemed more interested in their burgeoning tans than Usagi's boredom. Which did _not _gybe well in the Odango Atama's book.

"Mamoooo-_chan_! Come _on_!"

"Fifteen more minutes, Usako," the aforementioned college student with a mop of ebony for hair intoned patiently, gesturing to his sunscreen-lathered torso. Usagi huffed, scowling. Typical Mamo-chan, not wanting to set foot in the water until he followed every instruction to its sticky letter on the bottle's back... She flicked at her arm, slimy and white after having lost the battle to Usagi's impatience. So what was a little sunburn, anyway? Certainly no one could point at her for vitamin D deficiency!

"Chibi-Usa?"

"Baka! Can't you see I'm busy?" the irate pink spore hollered from her perch next to the snack bar, a rugged old shack that Usagi had already half cleaned out from the moment of her arrival. Chibi-Usa was chatting up the young, sandy-haired adolescent behind the counter. Usagi recognized the boy from her future daughter's elementary school. He was a few years ahead of the effervescently adorned preteen, but Usagi could tell from the way he kept staring at Chibi-Usa's plunging yellow neckline that the girl was utilizing her natural charm and maturing endowments to the fullest extent- hoping, no doubt, for a cold treat. She was about to get one in the form of Mamoru, on the prowl upon noticing, like Usagi, the cashier's wandering eyes. The fifteen-year-old snickered from her front row seat, floating in the deep end, but the fun was short-lived. There was a lot less blood than she was expecting. Poo poo.

Usagi collapsed back against the damp inflatable, shooting daggers heavenward. "Can't _someone _play with me?"

"Don't be so childish all the time, Usagi," Rei's voice admonished from across the pool. The raven-headed priestess didn't even glance over, or at least it didn't seem like it from Usagi's vantage point. Which made the jibe even more infuriating. Stupid shades. "It isn't becoming."

"Ho ho, _you're_ one to talk, _Miss Hino_!"

"I'm not the fifteen-year-old begging for a playmate..."

"No, you're the girl just asking for heatstroke- looking a little red there, Rei-chan. Left shoulder stands out like a sore thumb."

"WHAT? No, I'm not! And, and... it's only a small patch of pink! Barely noticeable!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Play with me!"

"No!"

"... just for a few minutes?"

"NO!"

Usagi aimed a tongue Rei's way and her sparring partner responded in kind, before smartly shifting position so she was no longer facing either the sun or Usagi. The odangoed blonde went back to wallowing in misery, splashing water in random directions until inspiration hit as swiftly as her doldrums. She grinned at the devilish plot slowly taking form in her head.

"_OW_!"

It seemed that was all Usagi really needed from the beginning; that one word, convincingly inflected with just the right amount of strength and facial constriction, gained Mamoru's attention in a snap.

"Usako?"

"Cramp..." she hissed, fingers kneading an imaginary pain in her side. Usagi spared one final glance at Mamoru's concerned features before doubling over. "Ohhhhh, it _hurts_..."

She reasoned it was probably hurting more to keep the silly smirk off her face as Mamoru jumped up and made for the pool, fresh sunscreen forgotten. But that was irrelevant, really. What currently mattered most was the fact that the fifteen-year-old finally had a companion, so when Mamoru reached Usagi in the deep end the girl sprung up, good as new.

"Yaaay! You came!" she beamed, bouncing up and down so excitedly that her joy was almost- _almost_- worth the inconvenience.

"Usako..." Mamoru scowled, touching a hand to his temple with an exasperated shake of the head. "What have I told you about crying wolf?"

"I'm not crying wolf. I'm saving you from your own... finicky, um, ness."

Mamoru cocked a brow as Usagi nodded seriously, laying a hand on either of her boyfriend's slippery shoulders while he dangled off the brightly colored floatie. "This is an intervention. I, Tsukino Usagi, have decided that you need to ease up on those fussy habits of yours. We're on vacation! So have fun. _Relax_. And stay with your beloved girlfriend in the darn pool before she drives herself mad!"

"That's relaxing?" Mamoru repeated teasingly, mirth tugging the corners of his mouth upward. "Sounds more like psychiatric therapy to me."

"_Mamo-chan_!"

"Okay, okay, I'll render my services! But only because you're the prettiest mental patient I've ever had the delight of working with," Mamoru laughed, sliding his arms around Usagi's waist. The teen chuckled before flinging herself off the inflatable and into the arms of her leering lover. Unfortunately, she had failed to remember how slick they were and instead of meeting damp skin, Usagi encountered Mamoru's particularly greasy pectorals. There was only a moment to squeal in surprise before hers and Mamoru's combined weight colliding sent them both down, to the very bottom of the pool.

Limbs twisted and tangled as water accosted the pair, the abrupt descent and subsequent submergence confusing both as they fought to find equilibrium. At some point during the scuffle Usagi lost her sunglasses to the current, and her knee accidentally jerked into Mamoru's jaw as she strove to free herself from the mangled mess they had become. In response, his own hands whooshed up to protect said muscle from any further blows, but they ended up getting stuck in a most compromising position instead. A very, _very_ compromising position.

Usagi suddenly ceased all discombobulated flailing as she felt the unexpected touch, Mamoru's right hand stuck between the fabric of her bikini bottom and the warmth of her groin. She groaned, sending up a cascade of bubbles while Mamoru froze, locked in the throes of shock and thoughts raging about a mile a minute. There was a full five seconds of delayed reaction following the slip, in which Usagi made no move to distance herself and Mamoru's hormones debated heatedly with his conscience. At last sense won out, and he pulled the intrusive appendage away from the convex of Usagi's thighs. She shivered, revelling in foreign sensation as one of Mamoru's fingers brushed- perhaps intentionally; she did not know- against her sweet spot. With the water now settled and their bodies more or less extricated, Usagi turned to appraise Mamoru. He gave her a shy smile that she softly returned, mouthing,

"Sorry."

Usagi shook her head fervently, but at this point her lungs began to painfully remind the girl of her need for oxygen. In a last act of underwater intimacy, Usagi placed a quick kiss to Mamoru's right hand. Mamoru gaped, clearly dazed, but the college student said nothing as they ascended up toward the shimmering sun. The pair spluttered together for a few seconds after breaking through the surface, and when they were finished spitting water Usagi graced shaken Mamoru with what could only be a naughty little wink.

"I hope you enjoyed your intervention, Mamo-chan."

Mamoru just blinked, not sure what was more disconcerting- the fact that Usagi made an innuendo, the multiple missed heartbeats in his chest, or that five female onlookers were staring down at them from the edge of the pool, countenances a muddled array of horror and awe after listening to Usagi voice said innuendo. Belatedly, he wondered exactly how long the Senshi had been standing there, until ChibiUsa marched away from her gawking comrades with a disgusted but revealing,

"I... need to go bleach my eyes out now."

And Mamoru, poor red-faced man that he was, merely turned to Usagi and whispered equally as suggestively, "I hope it was as _relaxing_ for you as it was for me. I look forward to similar interventions in the future, Dr. Usako."

* * *

A/N: Mm, schmexy. I hope you liked, yes? Thought my faithful readers deserved something a little hotter than usual, considering I've made you all wait for WAY more months than was necessary...

Thank you to the following: **Lesalanna, sweetnspicy7, FantasyFan123, PrincessSerenity1976, StarryNight101, CharmedSerenity3, IceQueenBarbarien, Secluded Sapphire, justa reader, ARABELLA VIOLETTA, James Birdsong, sm fan, BioSei, Ummster, Senshi'sBard, mae-E, PriestessHelene, angeliclin, sakanascales876, Nikitamjo, Red-Elephant, Angel no Yami, **and** Fiery Dancer. **Your replies have been so crucial during this long, writer's block-riddled hiatus!

Please review? It's been proven that feedback shortens the wait between chapters ;D

**AngelMoon Girl**


	15. Alive

**Twenty Kisses**  
Rated T  
Chapter Title: "Alive"  
Setting: Any (pre-Crystal Tokyo)  
Genre: AU

The black hole appeared out of nowhere, stretching a patch of periwinkle sky taut. It yawned wider and wider until, with a great gasp, a bedraggled teen was spat from the center of the abyss. The blonde- a girl, seemingly stuck in that awkward period between childhood and adulthood- toppled bonelessly onto the green lawn below, hardly moving as the dimensional rift slowly closed. The only indication that she was still alive, alive but battered, was the heavily labored 'in, out' motion of her chest as the unexpected newcomer choked for air.

For the longest moment she simply laid there, shivering as the faint sound of cackling faded away, but whether it originated from her mind or the depths of the inky, bottomless void of hell that had been her only scenery during the long journey back, the girl did not know. She was simply glad it was puttering away to nothing, that mad laughter so keen on haunting her every dream, leaving in its wake a merciful silence.

Grass prickled her nose as the teen in a shabby and ripped school uniform tried to roll over, to increase her flow of oxygen, but as the seconds tallied up she settled for simply turning her head into the dirt. Pressure built on her ear as it dug into the soft ground, but the familiar organic smell was comforting. It reminded her of times long past, when days were filled with sandboxes and the company of a bright-faced new friend named Naru who wanted to share her red shovel. When the most terrifying monsters could be chased away by Mama's stern finger-wagging under the bed. When she didn't have to fear that tomorrow would see her snatched off the face of the earth to endure yet another round of torture at the hand of her sadistic enemies...

_Even the most precious moon-toy will break if you push her to the edge often enough_, the chilling voice of only hours earlier mocked in the teen's memory.

The girl groaned, this time putting more effort into sitting up and greater concentration into forgetting _them_. Agony shot through all regions of her body, but just as she was about to give it up as futile, help arrived in a shriek that sang of both relief and horror.

"USAGI!"

_Mama..._

Footsteps reverberated as a dull throbbing beneath her head, and then the teenager known as Usagi felt hands gently grip her shoulders, her waist, her legs. _So many hands..._

In the brief interim it took for them to ease Usagi upright, she fought off both dizziness and a wave of panic. Her brain had to remind itself that not all hands are bad; not all hands seek to bring injury...

As the blonde's vision cleared and the aching receded to a more manageable discomfort, she saw a multitude of faces swimming over her, framed by the tall white elegance of her childhood home. This in itself was not surprising in the least- _they _took great pleasure in always depositing Usagi in the same place after the usual... session.

Tired eyes sweeping over her friends and family, one by one, Usagi silently thanked each for their presence, for their fortitude, for their concern. She stopped on a pair of anguished blue orbs, blinking back at her desperately. Usagi reached out her arms.

"Mamo-chan," she croaked simply, and in that instant Mamoru was there, catching her weak form as it collapsed against his. She could feel him shaking as the girl clung to the fabric of her soulmate's shirt, muscles like quivering arrows on the precipice of release, and yet no tears colored his cheeks and neither did any appear on Usagi's. After a full two months of this endless uncertainty, this sick cycle of capture-torture-freedom, they simply had no more to spare. The same could not be said for Tsukino Ikuko, weeping brokenly into her apron, but everyone dealt with the situation differently. As for Usagi, resignation was the route she had decided to take, and at her insistence, the others were to follow suit. Until the Sailor Senshi discovered the Achilles heel- the one weakness to exploit to bring down their enemy- Usagi would be a slave to their adversaries' whims; a toy to play with at will.

_It is what it is_, she had once commented sadly during a rare hiatus of peace. That was what happened when the world knew your secret; when the name Sailor Moon became synonymous to all as a short, rather unimpressive young high schooler named Tsukino Usagi. When the global effect of the media was not lost on aliens hellbent on revenge...

"Are you alright?" Mamoru whispered against Usagi's ratty blonde locks, half escaping their normal odango. His lips roved through her hair; traced frenzied kisses down her temple and across her rough countenance. Usagi took a deep breath and pulled back from the safety of his embrace.

"No worse than last time," she answered solemnly, and Mamoru's response was a simple grunt. The frustration was clear in his features as the man gave his girlfriend a once-over, not failing to miss the dried bloodstains and varying degrees of healing bruises. Usagi sighed and caressed him on the cheek, watching out of the corner of her eye as her unconventional homecoming drew a crowd and, to her disgust, the usual smattering of paparazzi clicking away.

In that vulnerable second, ensconced in Mamoru's arms and still fighting the remnants of pain, Usagi experienced an intense rush of fury. _How dare they._ How dare they find fascination in her suffering... Didn't they know, she did this for them? That she refused to hide, to steal herself away from danger because she wanted to protect _them_, gawking insensitive onlookers that they were-

_Stop_, a little voice ordered softly from within Usagi, almost serenely but with an undeniable edge of authority. It was the voice Usagi imagined Neo-Queen Serenity would one day bear, but at this moment she did not know if it came from her own conscience, or some otherworldly and wise being who sounded uncannily like a Serenity. She did not question, only listened. _Do not let yourself stoop to the cruelty of those you fight. Do not harden yourself. It is worth it. They are worth it._

_But I'm tired, _the abused, emotionally raw part of Usagi protested weakly. _I don't know if I can do this anymore. I just... hurt._

_Love. Hope. Dreams. Faith. Joy. Justice. Never forget that which you must preserve, Tsukino Usagi..._

Usagi steeled herself, nodding inwardly. She inhaled deeply as she pushed the pervading anger from her heart, smiling toward her neighbors, her admirers, and her shutterbug followers.

_That's right, I do this for you. I do this for all of you, for the world, and for those who will continue on when we are gone. Love, truth, and justice... I believe. I believe in it._

And as long as Usagi remembered that, cradling it like flickering flame to her chest, then the promise of peace would keep her warm, sane, and fighting throughout all the torment and darkness sure to come.

But most importantly, it would keep her alive- a gift Usagi never failed to undervalue with each breath that passed through her.

* * *

A/N: Yikes, that was a little angsty, huh? I was going for dark with just a touch of hopefulness; tender and sensual but with an overriding sense of suffering. Erm, not sure if that all came across... you decide! Thanks so much for all your patience, I really appreciate it as I'm just so busy right now and updating can be hard. But, I'm back, and hopefully can catch up on stuff I've missed. Really been enjoying **yra**'s Sailor Moon epic, "Out of the Abyss" and its sequel, "Heart of Darkness". Normally I'm not a fan of big, complex stories like that one, because I get lost in the plot and all the new characters invariably created, but this- this just sucked me in! I highly recommend giving it a read, and a major plus- it kicked my muses in the butt and sparked this one shot!

I love all my sweet, loyal readers :) Kudos for some mind-bogglingly fantastic feedback guys: **Red-Elephant, Henna Ryans, mae-E, Ashgeliton, StarryNight101, misako-princess, IceQueenBarbarian, PhinalPhantasy, Senshi'sBard, idfcv, CharmedSerenity3, Fiery Dancer, PrincessSerenity1976, Jenbunny, Jessie F. Babi, Usagi of Feudal Moon Era, Angel no Yami, **and **BeeDiddy. ***HUGS YOU ALL*

Happy Holidays!

P.S. Anyone else having trouble accessing my profile? Internet Explorer shuts down when I click on it :/ Maybe my list of favorites needs shortened; could be the page just can't handle its length... hmm...

**AngelMoon Girl**


End file.
